Lady Cats handle Bryant, 54-42

By Zach Hayes
UCA sportswriting

The Conway Lady Cats defeated the Bryant Lady Hornets on Tuesday, 54-42, at home in a 7A/6A Central conference matchup.

The final difference for the Lady Cats was 12, but with five minutes left, that lead was 21. Conway never trailed, jumping ahead and ending the first quarter, 14-5, and extending its lead at halftime, 33-19. Despite an admittedly bad stall game and hitting just four of 14 from the foul line, the Lady Cats managed a dominant victory against a quality team in Bryant.

“It was a pretty good night," Conway coach Ashley Nance said. "We couldn’t ask for much more in a game.”

Two players stole the show for Conway. Taylor Gault and Quay Allen-Smith combined for 38 of the Lady Cats' 54 points.

Gault, who has signed to play for the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, didn’t start the game because of disciplinary reasons, according Nance, but she still managed a game-high 21 points, including a four-of-four performance from the free-throw line.

She attempted only one 3-pointer after making all four from behind the line in a game last week and instead chose to attack the Lady Hornets off penetration to the basket and tough runners in the lane.

"It wasn’t really a plan," she said. "I just took it over once I got in the game."

Allen-Smith recorded a double-double, scoring 17 points and having 10-plus rebounds. Her presence was dominant in the paint, a big reason why the Lady Cats were able to create and sustain their big leads.

“She’s one of the strongest players on the team," Nance said of Allen-Smith, adding that her great head fakes forced Bryant to doubleteam her. "She was the difference maker in tonight’s game."

With just under five minutes left, Bryant pushed for a final run to cut into its 50-31 deficit behind Kiara Moore, who had left the game in the first quarter in tears after a loose-ball scramble and collision. Moore's huge steal and fast break layup, plus a made foul shot, cut Conway's lead to 50-41 with 2:33 to play, but the Lady Cats wouldn’t let it get closer than that, allowing just one more point the rest of the way.

“Basketball is a game of runs,” Lady Hornet coach Blake Condley said. “We made ours, and Conway was a good enough team to stop it and go on another one themselves.

“We were in such a deep hole, it was just hard to get out of.”

The Lady Cats play again Friday at Van Buren.